These are possibly the most glaring errors of English usage that any native speaker can commit. Unfortunately, many celebrities, scriptwriters, and copy writers seem to think that such ungrammatical constructions sound “cool.”
By filling the airwaves with these grammatical errors, the entertainment and advertising media compound the problem of low educational standards in the United States. Anyone who hopes to master the correct forms of standard English must make a special effort to tune out the incorrect modeling of the media.
“I” instead of “me”
ERROR: “Give it to Jack and I.”
SHOULD BE: Give it to Jack and me.
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“me” instead of “I”
ERROR:”Me and my girlfriend met in Paris.”
SHOULD BE: My girlfriend and I met in Paris.
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“myself” instead of “I”
ERROR:”My wife and myself just got back from Hawaii.”
SHOULD BE: My wife and I just got back from Hawaii.
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Errors of agreement: Agreement
ERROR:”There’s two people at the front door.”
SHOULD BE: There are two people at the front door.
Mixed Number in “There” sentences
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ERROR:”Everyone has a mind of their own.”
SHOULD BE: Everyone has a mind of his own.
Although earlier authorities taught that “his” can include women, modern speakers do not agree.
Mixed Number to Avoid Sexism
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irregular verb errors
“The child had drank the poison.”
SHOULD BE: The child had drunk the poison.
NOTE: This is just one example of the misuse of a common irregular verb. Many irregular verbs have different past and past participle forms.The only way to avoid errors of this type is to learn the principle parts of the irregular verbs that you use.
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verb tense errors with “would” construction
ERROR: “If I didn’t walk in just then, you would be dead.
SHOULD BE: If I hadn’t walked in just then, you would be dead.
ERROR: “If it wouldn’t have been for his aunt, the child would have grown up in foster care.”
SHOULD BE: If it hadn’t been for his aunt, the child would have grown up in foster care.
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